November 30, 2008
Re: UA Health in Action monthly program report for October 2008
Dear Mike Humphrey,
Please find attached the UA Health in Action program report for the month of October. The monthly
report covers the following information:
 Participation numbers
 Summaries of events and services (along with statistical information)
 Program development and miscellaneous
 Feedback
 Additional September data
If you have any comments or questions, please let us know. Thank you for the opportunity to serve
you.
Very truly,
Shannon Brady Garman
Summer Neuroth
WIN for Alaska, Inc.
Wellness Initiatives Network for Alaska, Inc.
P.O. Box 91393, Anchorage, AK 99509
Toll Free: 1-866-248-0797 • Phone: 907-248-0797 • Fax: 907-248-0751 • E-mail: [email protected]
www.winforalaska.com
UA Health in Action
Monthly Program Report
October 2008
Participation Numbers for Events and Services
In October, WIN for Alaska held the followings events: five Wellness Breaks (WB), UAS Family Fitness Fun Day,
UAA Pilates, and numerous Individualized Health Planning (IHP) program presentations at UAA and UAF.
Figure 1 below shows each event’s participation numbers.
October Event Participation
October Event
Number of Participants
Wellness Breaks (Counts are taken at each session,
activity, and biometric test. Participants could have attended
multiple sessions, activities, and test takings.)
UAA Campus Services
Sessions, snacks, smoothies………………………….
Cholesterol/Glucose.……… (limited registration of 9)
Massage………………..… (limited registration of 12)
Total attendance
26
7
10
UAA Maintenance Department
Snacks, smoothies……………………………………...
Cholesterol/Glucose…..… (limited registration of 12)
Blood Pressure…….…….. (limited registration of 12)
Body Composition……..... (limited registration of 12)
Massage………………..… (limited registration of 12)
Total attendance
30
12
11
9
12
UAS Sitka Campus
Sessions……………………………..…………………..
Wellness Walk…………………………………………..
Blood Pressure……………. (limited registration of 9)
Body Composition………… (limited registration of 9)
Massage………………..… (limited registration of 12)
Total attendance
21
3
7
8
12
UAF Interior Aleutians Campus
Sessions, snacks, smoothies…………………………
Wellness Walk…………………………………………..
Cholesterol/Glucose………. (limited registration of 9)
Massage………………..… (limited registration of 12)
Total attendance
23
2
5
13
UAF Kuskokwim Campus in Bethel
Sessions, snacks………………………………………..
Wellness Walk………….……………………………….
Cholesterol/Glucose…….. (limited registration of 10)
Blood Pressure…………... (limited registration of 10)
Body Composition……….. (limited registration of 10)
Total attendance
40
3
9
8
8
43
74
51
43
Wellness Breaks Subtotal
68
279
Page 2
Physical Activity Presentation
UA Classified Council (Oct. 2)
22
UAS Family Fitness Fun Day (Oct. 4)
50
UAA Pilates Class (Oct. 29)
41
IHP Program Presentations
UAA
Social Sciences Department….………………………
English Department…………….………………………
Health Services…………………………………………
12
8
50
UAF
English Department……………………………….……
Justice Department………………………………..……
Graduate Studies………………………………….……
Environmental Chemistry………………………………
Financial Services College……………………….……
Anthropology Department..….…………………………
Athletic Department……………………………….……
20
13
6
6
22
5
20
IHP Program Presentations Subtotal
162
TOTAL event participation numbers in October
554
Figure 1. Event participation numbers in October.
The total participation numbers for all UA Health in Action events in October reached 554. Figure 2 shows total
event participation numbers for each month in 2008.
Overall Event Participation Year-to-Date
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
204
226
349
449
172
21
60
52
297
554
Figure 2. Overall event participation numbers in 2008.
In addition to events, WIN provided services that included: responding to telephone calls and emails from UA
faculty and staff about the UA Health in Action wellness program; providing the Health Activity Tracker (HAT);
managing the Get the Point (GTP) incentive program; and offering IHP sessions. Figure 3 shows how many
calls and emails were received, how many participants were registered each month in HAT, and how many
participated in GTP and IHP.
Services Participation
Year-to-Date
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Incoming Email*
204
329
259
592
235
123
151
160
125
494
Telephone Calls*
52
197
182
104
101
78
30
120
35
280
Health Activity Tracker
Registration (total to
793
893
943
990
1044
1052
1062
1074
1092
1121
month end)
Get the Point Participants
235
279
323
367
374
381
390
400
415
(total to month end)
Individualized Health
184
261
302
304
359
Planning Participants
Figure 3. Services participation numbers in 2008. *This includes only incoming emails and calls from UA
staff and faculty.
Page 3
Summaries of Events and Services
These summaries contain WIN’s actions during October for all UA Health in Action events and services. They
also include the popularity of our publication services, i.e., UA Health in Action website, audiocasts, Online
Wellness Center website, UA Health Link, and the Health Tip of the Month emails.
Wellness Breaks
New Actions

Held five Wellness Breaks at the following departments/locations: UAA Campus Services, UAA
Maintenance Department, UAS Sitka campus, UAF Interior Aleutians campus, UAF Kuskokwim campus in
Bethel. The total abnormal cholesterol/glucose test results from all October Wellness Breaks are shown in
figure 4 below. Also, the total abnormal blood pressure and body composition analysis results from all
October Wellness Breaks are shown in figure 5 below.

Coordinated with massage therapists in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kenai, Seward, and Sitka for Wellness
Breaks.

Finished updating handouts with the new topics.

Finalized the Wellness Break Request form and posted it online.
Total Cholesterol
(Over 200)
10 (25.6%)
Blood Cholesterol Abnormal Numbers
(out of 39 participants)
Glucose
Low Density Lipoprotein
(Over 100)
(Over 130)
3 (7.7%)
Triglycerides
(Over 150)
7 (17.9%)
5 (12.8%)
Figure 4. Blood cholesterol abnormal numbers. This shows how many blood test results out of 39 tests revealed
unhealthy cholesterol/glucose numbers.
Blood Pressure Abnormal Numbers
(out of 37 participants)
Body Composition Analysis Abnormal Numbers
(out of 36 participants)
(over 140/90)
(Men, ages 20-59: over 21% body fat)
(Women, ages 20-59: over 34% body fat)
13 (35.1%)
18 (50%)
Figure 5. Blood pressure and body composition analysis abnormal numbers. This shows how many blood
pressure results and body composition analyses out of 37 and 36, respectively, were unhealthy.
Ongoing Actions

Organizing Wellness Breaks for Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks for the coming months.

Working on travel arrangements with the rural coordinators.

Receiving emails, telephone calls, and faxes from Anchorage and Fairbanks as well as the rural
communities.

Preparing for a meeting and meeting with Wellness Break coordinators. Working on their requested
Wellness Break topics, faculty and staff questions, room preparation, etc.

Following the Wellness Break promotion schedule: “Save the date” flyer sent one month in advance of the
Wellness Break, invitation sent two weeks in advance, reminder emails sent two days before, and
appointment confirmation/reminder the day before.
Page 4
Family Fitness Fun Day
New Actions
Held Family Fitness Fun Day in Juneau on October 4. An estimated 20 adults and 30 children attended.
Stations included a fitness challenge, playtime, disc golf, mini-tennis, tennis carnival games, foot bocce, and
face painting. Bags of sliced apples were also given out. The volunteers for the stations were all UAS staff
except for two other persons. As a thank you, five of the volunteers were given $10 gift cards to Heritage Coffee
and one was given a $20 gift card to Fred Meyer.
Pilates
New Actions

Sent a reminder email to all who had signed up for the two Pilates classes on Wednesday’s in Anchorage.

Held the first Pilates classes on October 29 with 41 in attendance.

Maintained and updated the Pilates waitlist and class list.
Individualized Health Planning (IHP) Sessions
New Actions

Began the second phase of IHP sessions this month. At the end of October, 359 people were registered in
the program.

The first phase of the IHP program that began in February 2008 concluded this month. The results of this
program will be submitted in a separate cumulative report.
Ongoing Actions

Working with IT to design an online system that will improve the tracking capabilities for IHPs.

Tracking weekly the IHP session totals in Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks.

Wellness consultants meeting weekly to discuss the IHP program, rooms, getting more participants, and
best practices.

Promoting IHP sessions through the UA Health in Action website, UA Health Link, and Wellness Breaks.

Garnering support for IHP sessions from university departments.
Get the Point (GTP) Incentive Program
New Actions

Sent 22 GTP 6-month prize emails for group #3 in mid-October:
Tier 1: Eight participants were sent the email; four were sent a $50 cash card and one was sent a $50
bookstore gift certificate.
Tier 2: Nine participants were sent the email; seven responded and were sent a $75 cash card.
Tier 3: Three participants were sent the email; two responded and were sent a $100 cash card.
Elite: Two participants were sent the email; one was sent a $100 cash card and one was sent a GPS.

Called the UAS bookstore and ordered a $50 gift certificate.

Researched an email that was not received by a participant of group 3 due to her outdated email address
being listed on HAT.

Had multiple meetings regarding the new GTP tracking system. Meetings were regarding the layout, queries,
design, and necessary components.
Ongoing Actions
Page 5

Sending a GTP response email to those who do not respond to their prize emails.

Shipping GTP prizes to Fairbanks and other rural UA locations.

Distributing GTP prizes to the Anchorage mailroom.

Reconciling prize email responses with the shipping report to confirm that respondents received prizes.

Sending the GTP reminder (to track points) email at the end of the month.

Responding to general questions about GTP as well as specifics on the points and prizes.

Working on the logistics of HAT with the incentive program, breaking down the point totals for each group
and sorting for the 6-month prizes.

Resetting user IDs and passwords on HAT.

Promoting GTP by walking through departments and via the UA Health in Action website, UA Health Link,
IHP sessions, and Wellness Breaks.

Garnering support for GTP from university departments.
UA Health in Action Website
Ongoing Actions
Promoting the UA Health In Action website through the UA Health Link, at Wellness Breaks, and at IHP
sessions.
Visits and Page Views
In October there were 3,325 visits by 1,407 people (unique visitors), resulting in 6,877 page views, the most
page views since the site was launched in September 2007. There were 1,918 more visits in October than in
September (1,828). (See figure 6.) Of the 3,325 visits, 26% were by new visitors (never accessed
www.uahealthinaction.com before) and 74% were from returning visitors.
Figure 6. Website visits and page views comparison. This graph compares website interest over the last
three months.
Page 6
Top Pages/Links
119 pages/links within the UA Health In Action site were viewed a total of 6,877 times in October compared to
September (102 pages/links viewed a total of 4,056 times). Figure 7 shows the most popular pages. Only pages
with five or more visits are shown in the figure.
Popular UA Health in Action Website Pages/Links for October
Page Name
Hits
Home Page
2,627
Incentives
255
Programs
244
Wellness Breaks
154
Community Events
148
Fitness Buddy List
132
IHP
122
Resources
98
Newsletters
96
Toolbox
94
Calendar
68
UA Resources
59
Photo Gallery
53
Audiocasts
31
Links that go to pages on other websites
Body Mass Index
13
Walking Calculator
7
Calorie Counter
6
Fitness Quiz
5
Online Wellness Center
5
Figure 7. Popular website pages.
Audiocasts
New Actions
Added the following audiocasts to the UA Health In Action website in October:


15 Healthier Things to do with Salt
Tips for Preventing Headaches
Ongoing Actions
Continuing to promote audiocasts via the UA Health Link.
Downloads/Opens
Audiocasts were accessed 31 times in October.
Page 7
Fitness Buddy
As of October 31, 14 people were in the Fitness Buddy directory representing Anchorage, Fairbanks, and North
Pole.
Online Wellness Center
Ongoing Actions
Promoting the Online Wellness Center (OWC) through UA Health Link eNewsletters and links on the UA Health
In Action website and the Health Activity Tracker.
Visits
In October, the OWC was visited 329 times.
The focus was on Dental Health and Hygiene
Month. The topics highlighted in the OWC in
October were: 




10 Unexpected Things You Didn't
Know About Your Teeth
What a Dental Hygienist Can Tell You
How to Banish Bad Breath
What Your Saliva Says About You
Oral Cancer is Mostly Preventable
Figure 8 compares the number of visits to the
OWC over the last three months.
Figure 8. Online Wellness Center visits comparison.
Figure 9 shows how often the most popular articles from the OWC were visited this month. Only pages with five
or more visits are shown in the figure.
Popular Online Wellness Center Articles for October
Article Name
Hits
Soak and Seal Your Hands to Fight Winter Dryness
36
Skin Problems and What to Do About Them
34
How to Banish Bad Breath
25
What Your Saliva Says About You
21
What a Dental Hygienist Can Tell You
18
Understanding Psoriasis — A Misunderstood Skin Condition
17
Tanning Salons — A Deadly Choice
16
Stress Shows on Your Skin
14
10 Unexpected Things You Didn’t Know About Your Teeth
12
Oral Cancer is Mostly Preventable
12
Figure 9. Popular OWC articles.
Page 8
UA Health Link eNewsletter
New Actions
In the October issue, we:

promoted registering for the second phase of IHP;

featured Wellness Champions UAS Road Scholars;

advertised the UAS Family Fitness Fun Day;

highlighted Nordic walking and Pilates in Anchorage;

promoted immunizations; presented October’s national breast cancer awareness challenge;

spotlighted the Online Wellness Center’s featured articles on dental health and hygiene;

reminded GTP participants who began the program in May that this was their last month to earn points
toward the 6-month prize;

highlighted new Wellness Break presentations for this fall; and

recognized outstanding health achievements amongst university faculty and staff.
Opens
October showed an increase in readership (1,673) compared to August and September (1,530 and 1,633,
respectively). (See figure 10.) The number of opens reflects the actual number of times the email itself was
opened. In addition to the 1,673 email opens of the October Health Link, 234 more opens occurred via web
browsers or the website.
Figure 10. Health Link opens in August, September, and October.
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Top Articles
Figure 11 shows the most popular October Health Link articles that were opened in October. Please note that
the October issue was sent out at the end of September, and September’s program report shows how often
popular October articles were opened in that month. Also, other issues and articles were opened during
October, and the most popular ones are noted in figure 11. Only pages with five or more visits are shown in the
figure.
Popular October Health Link Articles Accessed in October
Article
Hits
IHP Kickoff
429
Achievements
107
Immunizations
24
Wellness Champion—Road Scholars
28
Get the Point
15
Wellness Challenge
15
Popular Other Health Link Articles and Issues
Accessed in October
Nov 2008 Full Circle Farms
359
Nov 2008 Sweet Potatoes
343
Nov 2008 Flu Shots
317
Nov 2008 Issue Main page
246
Nov 2008 IHP
138
Nov 2008 Wellness Breaks
110
Nov 2008 Wellness Challenge
57
Sept 2008 Issue Main Page
38
Sept 2008 IHP Fairbanks
21
Sept 2007 Issue Main Page
19
Aug 2008 Issue Main Page
6
Sept 2008 Get the Point
5
Sept 2008 Wellness Champion
5
Nov 2007 Issue Main Page
5
July 2008 Wellness Champion
5
June 2008 Wellness Champion
5
Figure 11. Popular Health Link articles accessed in October.
Health Tip of the Month
New Actions
October’s health tip was titled Wax Coating on Fruits and Vegetables. It was sent to 129 email addresses,
opened 35 times via email, and accessed via the website 35 times.
Ongoing Actions
Continuing to promote the Health Tip of the Month through the UA Health Link and inviting staff/faculty to sign
up.
Page 10
Program Development and Miscellaneous
WIN for Alaska is continually developing UA’s Health in Action wellness program. Our efforts include working
closely with the staff and faculty to help facilitate and improve the programs.
New Actions

Responded to numerous emails regarding hosting a Full Circle Farms fruit delivery service on campus in
Juneau, Fairbanks and Kenai. The delivery service will begin in November.

Evaluated the wellness consultant monthly program reporting form and began designing a new online
monthly reporting system for more thorough and accurate wellness consultant tracking.

Held meetings with our Health Risk Assessment vendor to discuss the content and usability of their product.

Organized flu shots in Fairbanks with Valley Clinic for November. Spoke with Anchorage Health Center and
got the times and days that they are offering flu shots for staff and faculty. Researched clinics in Juneau but
did not find anyone willing or able to do onsite flu shots.

Planned a natural foods tour in Palmer for November upon a request from a faculty member who saw our
Natural Pantry tour in Anchorage.
Ongoing Actions

Meeting monthly with Mike and Erika to discuss all aspects of UA’s wellness program.

Working with the various campuses on room schedules for our events and presentations.

Working with various people throughout the state to find locations that will allow more staff and faculty to
participate in workshops and events.

Communicating with staff and faculty by telephone and email on a regular basis. A majority of the calls and
emails are from faculty and staff who have questions about the IHPs, GTP incentive program, Wellness
Breaks, and resetting user IDs and passwords.

Adding to our internal resources document.

Learning about campus-run programs and developing ways to help support them.

Developing targeted email communication based on the feedback from faculty/staff evaluations, interest
surveys, emails, and telephone conversations.

Working towards the Well Workplace Award.
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Feedback from Participants & Wellness Consultants
The following are quotes taken from emails and evaluations that we received this month.
Wellness Breaks—Staff and Faculty Comments
•
Can’t wait until next time.
•
Great, well rounded presentation. Liked the snacks! Changed my mind about a few things.
•
Continue Cindy’s visits to our campus. Thanks!
•
Great that [the Wellness Break] comes to you! Thanks.
Wellness Breaks—Staff and Faculty Suggestions
•
Wonderful as is.
•
Of course, more frequent visits I’d really prefer.
•
I attended all sessions and I find them very informative.
Wellness Breaks—Wellness Consultants’ Comments
•
One idea to increase attendance came from my contact in Sitka: “On the email announcing the schedule for
a WB, add a comment that these programs are supported by UA and staff and faculty are encouraged to
come; these events count towards their work hours. She felt that when their group learned that fact in the
spring, attendance was boosted. Also, if we make the incentive a part of the WB process permanently, we
should add the particular incentive to that email announcing the schedule too. I’m not the biggest fan of
extrinsic incentives though, just my opinion.”
•
Our day started off really quickly and we were lined up. Our first people needed lots of assistance in
evaluating and understanding results and this put us behind right off the bat. Angelique did a wonderful job
for her first event and I am so glad she was there. We kept one Cholestec machine going until 11am
(I brought non-fasting cassettes as well) due to the nature of this dept (bus drivers, painters, outside jobs,
call-ins) to accommodate those who had to come back later. It also enabled us to accommodate some
walk-ins. Angelique also signed up one person for the IHP program and we gave out lots of cards for others
interested in joining it. Everyone raved about the massages. We only had a few no shows and those got
filled up quickly. The chairs were not empty for long with this crew that physically works so hard every single
day.
•
The Interior Aleutians campus sponsored a wellness break yesterday at the UAF Harper Building which is
located on Geist Road. As usual, the biometrics and massage appointments had the most participation. Our
massage therapist, Kendall, took walk-ins after the pre-registered appointments were finished. There were
up to six participants in the group session events. While it was apparent that at least one of the employees
attending was at high risk, there are 30 people in this building; so we reached only 20% of the
population. With this in mind, improving our Wellness Break marketing is a worthwhile project.
•
Yesterday, I was at Facility and Campus Services which is a small dept of 25 over in the University Lake
Building. Only a few slots for cholesterol/glucose testing and massage were not filled, and there was a
decent turn out for snacks but minimal attendance for presentations and 0 for the walk. The five people that
attended all the presentations got put into a drawing for a pedometer. It seemed like the healthiest people in
their departments showed up for our event. We may need to find a way to attract those that need us the
most who just walk by but don’t sign up or pop in!
Classified Council Meeting—Wellness Consultant Feedback

The 15-minute presentation for the Classified Council ended up being 45 minutes. There were 22 people at
the meeting. They were all receptive and glad to get up and move. I promoted the IHP sessions as well.
Page 12